AP said lockdowns have also begun in Africa as coronavirus cases rose above 1,000. Uganda, Eritrea and Angola announced their first cases, meaning 42 of Africa's 54 countries are now affected.

On Friday, Africa's busiest airport, in Johannesburg, blocked foreigners from disembarking and two major airlines－Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways－announced sweeping cancellations of international flights.

Nigeria on Saturday announced it is closing airports to all incoming international flights for one month in the continent's most populous country. Uganda is closing its borders to all but cargo. Republic of Congo and Ghana are closing their borders, according to AP.

At the beginning of February, only two countries in sub-Saharan Africa－Senegal and South Africa－had the ability to test for the novel coronavirus.

Kenya's main referral hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital has launched a telemedicine technology center for detection of coronavirus, the first of its kind in Africa.

Mutahi Kagwe, the health cabinet secretary, said on Sunday the facility would provide quick diagnosis of coronavirus. Kagwe said major operations will soon be done in Kenya by local doctors in cooperation with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

The World Health Organization has helped 43 more countries set up or augment their national laboratories so that they can also test for this pathogen, the National Public Radio reported.